Copa Libertadores Could Open Door to MLS

The continent’s foremost club tournament, which initially only included South American teams and began adding Mexican squads 13 editions ago, could now open its doors for teams from Major League Soccer, CONMEBOL president Nicolás Leóz told Brazilian sports daily Lance!

Leóz told the paper that he has been trying to incorporate teams from MLS into the prominent competition for the past few years.

“We’ve wanted to do that for a long time, but it doesn’t only depend on us,” said Leóz, who recognized that “the level of soccer in the US is growing” and assured that the door is open for the best MLS teams to partake in the Libertadores.

According to sources close to CONMEBOL’s executive committee, the federation will further analyze early next year the feasibility of inviting MLS teams to the South American version of Champions League.